“The Powhatan Renape Nation and the Ramapough Lenape Nation were officially recognized as Native American tribes by New Jersey beginning in 1980, according to two settlement agreements signed by the tribes and New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal today.” The Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Tribal Nation was recognized four months ago. More details can be found by clicking here.

On May 2-3, 2019, at Rutgers Labor Education Center Auditorium, New Brunswick, civil rights scholars, economists, leaders and advocates will gather with labor, civic, faith and political leadership in New Brunswick, NJ to forge a renewed agenda for Building One America. To register and to see the star-studded array of speakers, click here. Cost: Summit Registration Fee – $ 125.00; Group rate (from same organization) – $ 100.00

In his article in the Atlantic, Adam Serwer ties Madison Grant’s 1916 book The Passing of the Great Race to current political and ideological struggles as well as to its long acknowledged source for Hitler with its doctrine of race purity. “[T]o recognize the homegrown historical antecedents of today’s rhetoric is to call attention to certain disturbing assumptions that have come to define the current immigration debate in America—in particular, that intrinsic human worth is rooted in national origin, and that a certain ethnic group has a legitimate claim to permanent political hegemony in the United States. . . . the source of greatest danger has been those who would choose white purity over a diverse democracy”. Read his article by clicking here.

In the face of hate, we must show love. But what form does love take to be effective in responding to the recent hate crime that occurred in Christchurch, New Zealand?

The man, described as a white nationalist, who is suspected of committing mass murders at one of the mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, referred to worshipers as immigrants, ignoring that his family was once European immigrants to Australia. The AP reported, “He is a 28-year-old Australian white nationalist who hates immigrants,” who “was set off by attacks in Europe that were perpetuated by Muslims. He wanted revenge and wanted to create fear.” But is fear the impetus that propelled him to launch this hate crime in the first place?

Sometimes when people are fearful, they become vicious and lash out. Their senses of reality become skewed (which may be a form of mental illness). Their fight or flight instinct is triggered and instead of retreating, some decide to go on the offense, and in this case, attacking self-selected enemies. Is the fear really that they (white nationalists) will become irrelevant at best or extinct at worse? How do we dispel or alleviate what seems to some as a real threat? How do we allay the fears of people who have delusions that “others” are plotting to destroy them? When we are able to answer these complex questions, we will at best have an opportunity to solve these problems or at least learn to better manage them.

In considering our response – our call to action – we should speak to how we must work together to examine and address the perspectives of people who commit heinous, terrorist attacks in the name of saving their way of life. Perhaps it will help us save our own.